DeAndre Hopkins: It hasn’t been easy learning new offense

Texans wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins says he’s “nowhere close to where I want to be” after his rookie season and getting there is going to take some studying this offseason.

Hopkins had to learn a new offense after Houston made him a first-round pick last year, but any hopes of filling out his knowledge of the scheme this offseason went up in smoke along with the Texans’ system. Gary Kubiak is out as coach and Bill O’Brien is in, leaving the Hopkins back at square one when it comes to the learning process.

“It’s not been easy; I’m not going to lie,” Hopkins said, via the team’s website. “It’s a new playbook, you have to refocus, you have to do everything you did your rookie year all over again, but I feel like I know how to prepare better than last year, just going out and learning from Andre [Johnson] and doing things like that, and I feel like I’m becoming a better player overall.”

Learning from Johnson isn’t a possibility right now because it’s a new offense for both of them and because Johnson has decided not to attend OTAs after expressing his frustration with the path the team has been on of late. That’s not expected to lead to an immediate departure from the team, but the fact that it is in the air would make it all the better for the Texans if Hopkins can make quick strides in the new offense.